GEORGIA DEFT. OF STATE PARKS OUTDOOR RECREATION FACUTSS FOR THE DISABLED Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/outdoorrecreatioOOgeor G G OUTDOOR RECREATION ACUITIES rot the DISABLE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT or STATE PARKS 7 Hunter. Street, S.W. Atlanta, Georgia, 30334 THE LIBRARIES THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA a J)c|i{, r&c RECRE&TI rot the D GEORGIA DEPARTMENT of STATE PARKS 7 Hunter. Street, S.W. Atlanta, CyECR,&iA, 30334 TABLE OF CONTENTS BACKGROUND PURPOSE DEFINITION OP "DISABLED" DEFINITION OF "OUTDOOR RECREATION" LOCATION MAP OF FORT YARGO THE PLAN IN BRIEF SITE PLAN SERVICE AREA SERVICE AREA MAP ACTIVITY OCCASIONS THE GROUP CAMP THE DAY-USE AREA FAMILY COTTAGE AREA BACKGROUND Medical science has been successful in saving the lives of increasing numbers of accident victims, of removing the death sting from many once-fatal diseases, and of prolonging the life span of our population. Accident victims, however, very often must continue life with a disability. The children saved at childbirth often start life with serious physical and mental limitations Patients who once might have been lost can be "cured" from those dread diseases - but "cured" to live life out with less mobility and less independence. We welcome the ever increasing life span which the medical profession gives us, ... but we must accept the infirmities and the loss of our independence and mobility which accompany it. Georgia has its share of disabled persons. The lives of 200,000 individuals are transformed each year from "normal" to "paraplegic". One out of every 7 Americans is handicapped. In the State of Georgia some 600,000 individuals are disabled. From a Georgia pulpit recently came the message, "Be kind to the person you meet; he carries a load. " Those many Georgians who have physical and mental limitations do, indeed, carry a load. Too often the full meaning of their personal "load" is never appreciated, for these individuals are frequently denied "the good life" - the rich fulfillment which comes from a purposeful life, from social contact, from contact with the out-of-doors, from recreational opportunities which provide refreshment to the spirit and strength to the body. PURPOSE Georgia believes in wholesome outdoor recreational opportunities for all its citizens. Georgia is rich in fresh air and sunshine and blessed with a mild climate, beautiful scenery, and varied topography. Its history is resplendent with tales of outdoor life, from the early pioneer episodes of necessity to the present vacationers on the hunting preserves, salt water flats, and mountain trails. Over six million visitors availed themselves of outdoor recreation in Georgia's parks last year. They came to see, and touch, and stretch their senses in God's great out-of-doors. As a large part of man's leisure is now devoted to recreational activities, this recreation has become a means to man's selfrealization, to his fulfillment. If this is true for the ablebodies, for those who move with ease in and out of the work-a-day world where employment itself provides some means of satisfaction and accomplishment ... if this is true for the able-bodies, how much more is it true for those who by their disabilities are unable to pursue productive employment, or who are confined to less fulfilling types of employment. We accept the premise that many of the disabled could live lives of normal existence, productivity, and happiness if certain basic provisions were made for them and if certain obstacles were removed from their path. Accepting that premise, the Outdoor Recreation Facilities for the Disabled described herein are being provided in the belief that opportunities for recreation in the out-of-doors is a part of every Georgian's heritage, and that the desire for fun, the need for human companionship and the right to enjoy the out-of-doors is common to us all. f Ll:'' ri ' f j <:- . IJJ - : fiOi -( j :.! r ;; v ri?.; W I DEFINITION OF "DISABLED" Good design of facilities requires that early decisions be made on some basic questions relating to who the Outdoor Facilities for the Disabled will serve, and how the facilities v/ill be administered. It is recognized at the outset that many persons who suffer from physical and mental disabilities will be able to receive the benefits from the Outdoor Recreation Facilities for the Disabled at best only to a very limited degree, and others, not at all. Many of the disabled who are institutionalized, for instance, will benefit only insofar as their institution might be able to transport and care for them. Since it cannot be possible for the Parks Department to provide therapeutic, medical or guardianship care, those who come to use the facilities must come with whatever equipment or personnel necessary to make their visit possible. The same is true for the non-institutionalized disabled. The Outdoor Recreation complex cannot be expected to provide care. Those who come must come with the necessary assistance, be it family, friends, or professional personnel. It is expected at the outset, of course, that many of those eligible will find it possible to come. A primary factor in previous trips has been recognized to be lack of an acceptable destination, rather than lack of assistance. Many of the disabled will not use the special facilities at Fort Yargo for the simple reason that their disability does not prevent them from using the many facilities scattered over the state for the able. It is expected, for example, that a missing hand, or a coronary or respuratory problem, or the normal problems of the aging would not handicap a person to the extent that he could not use and enjoy the many other facilities provided for the able-bodied. Efforts to "screen out" this last group are not intended to deny a citizen use of the area. Screening will be for the purpose of protecting those who do need the special facilities. There are really two reasons that a special area for the disabled is needed. First, the elimination of physical barriers will obviously make the area usable to them. Second, certain i.OJ psychological barriers in the participant's own mind will be eliminated when he realizes that he will not be a spectacle because of his infirmities. Large groups of able-bodied citizens with normal curiosity often make him feel "different" and selfconscious. By screening the visitors, v/e then are able to provide the disabled with a world in which he represents the normal. Although it is a temporary world and admittedly "unreal", he will be able to enjoy a freedom heretofore denied him. People enjoy doing those things which they know how to do. It is expected that the outdoor recreation experiences which the disabled visitor grows to know and enjoy at his special area will become a part of his life in other locations, also. In short, the outdoor experiences can and will lead many of our disabled friends to a willingness to live with the curiosity and physical hardships that go with exercising his recreation interests among the able. When this happens, the Department of State Parks' Outdoor Recreation Facilities for the Disabled will have accomplished a secondary and perhaps more important objective, returning the disabled to the world from which they had been temporarily isolated. J - v <' i , j . i . to, :;.;.. ,' i DEFINITION OF "OUTDOOR RECREATION" Outdoor recreation is nothing more than purposeful, fulfilling recreation opportunities which give an individual an opportunity to stretch his limbs and mind and spirit in an outdoor setting. Outdoor recreation may consist of an activity in which nature itself is the heart of the activity, such as bird watching, fishing, or rock study. Or it may be an activity which simply requires an outdoor setting like hiking, kiteflying, boating and golf. Or, we could even have outdoor recreation include those activities which, although they could just as easily be conducted indoors, are for the present out-of-doors, such as painting, skating, shuf f leboard, or even reading. Hopefully, every outdoor recreation activity will provide some benefit for the participant, not only from the activity, but from the world of natural things which surround him. It is this association with the land, the water, and the air, just as God put them there, that gives outdoor recreation its distinguishing characteristics, and its greatest potential for good- Georgia's State Parks are dedicated to outdoor recreation. Outdoor recreation, in fact, is the whole reason for the existence of the Parks Department. Recognizing that opportunities for play in the out-of-doors is as important as the recreation needs of the State's citizens, the Georgia larks Department has historically filled a primary role in the provision of places where Georgia's citizens can go to satisfy their outdoor recreation needs This point is being stressed because it must be understood at the outset that an outdoor recreation facility cannot be expected to satisfy all the recreational needs of the disabled. The planned programs provided by the many organizations serving the disabled will continue to provide social contact and training for new skills. The State's vocational counselors will continue their important roles of education and training. Civic clubs will continue their programs of help for the disabled. Georgia's many churches will continue providing opportunities for these individuals to be a part of community life. The Outdoor Recreation Facilities for the Disabled will compliment the State's other efforts. The facilities provided will be a "base of operation" from which an individual, a family, cr an organization can plan and conduct his own program. The personnel provided at the site will be that required for the safe and efficient operation of the facilities. High organized, full-time recreation programs will not be conducted by the Parks Department since it is expected that each visitor will bring to the park his own interests and the assistance necessary to fulfillment of those interests. It is expected that, from time to time, the Department may plan special programs of either light entertainment, or low-organized participation, but these will not be a regular occurrence. LOCATION The Outdoor Recreation Facilities for the Disabled will be located at Fort Yargo State Park, two miles south of Winder, Georgia on Georgia Highway 81. Within the park, the Facilities for the Disabled will be in one section of the park as yet undeveloped. They will be placed on two sides of one arm of the park lake. A large area of the park which abuts the group camp is in its natural state and the plans call for leaving the area natural. Access to the family cottages and the day use area is by the main entrance to the park with a secondary entrance into the Facilities for the Disabled. This secondary entrance will very likely serve as a control point for the area, since some screening of participants seems desirable A separate entrance into the group camp from another point in the park v/ill assure some privacy for those groups. ^ if siUlNjj \ l ?Tks&n "*5 3 w^*>i>^ 3* Nfe I". 5 % *^S2S^ 1 t .J ..< &go ~ .,, as <% S'tl -4 A *P Hi i. ?5 I Ml 1 KKSSSB3I , \.r- ft THE PLAN IN BRIEF Generally, plans call for the Outdoor Recreation Facilities for the Disabled to serve the disabled in three ways, to function as a complex of three types of facilities: Group Camp : The group camp will provide complete living and program accommodations. It is a group of structures such as campers' cabins, dining hall, and program buildings. The entire camp will be leased on a short term basis to various organizations who provide services for the disabled. Public Facility for the Disabled ; The day-use area will accommodate the daily visitors with opportunities to fish, swim, picnic, boat, and enjoy some play and game aparatus. The area will be opened and closed on a daily basis. Family Cottage Area: The vacation-style cottages will be available for rent on a short-term basis to familities who wish to stay overnight on the park. The cottages are located so that they can be used in conjunction with either the Area for the Disabled or the public facilities for the able, elsewhere in the park. SITE PLAN The site plan which follows will provide orientation of the reader to the overall plan and how the three parts listed on the previous page relate to each other. The bridge connecting the group camp with the day-use area is for pedestrian traffic only. FACILITIES THE ABLED Group O COTTAGrES Day Use Area A?.CHVTOT Service Area for Cottage Users : 150-Mile radius, approximate driving time - four hours. It is expected that those who will be staying on the park three or more days would be willing to travel up to four hours. Seventy-eight per cent (78%) of the state's population are within this area. In addition, two million residents of North and South Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama are within the four-hour drive to Winder. Some 48,550 individuals will be eligible for benefits as cottage users. Service Area for Group Camp Users : 150-Mile radius, approximate driving time - four hours. The service area for the group camp users is limited to the State of Georgia, since established Parks Department policy gives Georgia residence a preference. Of the 3,338,700 Georgia residents within this area, 30,000 will be eligible for benefits from the group camp facility. In summary, it is expected that the Outdoor Recreation Facilities for the Disabled will draw its participants from the following "populations". One-day visitors 18, 910 Two-day (week-end) cottage users, ,31, 418 Overnight visitors staying 3 or more days ,...,. 48 , 550 Group Camp Users , 30 , 000 FACILITIES for the DISABLED f / ACTIVITY OCCASIONS In using the aforementioned figures to arrive at the demand which will be placed on the recreation facilities, a schedule of Participation Rates Per Capita has been used. Participation rates which were developed for the able were reduced by 50% here before applying them to the population figures to arrive at the average number of activity occasions per day, annually and for a five-month summer period. ACTIVITY ACTIVITY OCCASIONS ANNUAL SUMMER Swimming 143. 407 Fishing Pleasure Boating 137. . 226 65. ...... .132 Picnicing 71 132 THE GROUP CAMP The group camp, although close in proximity to the other recreation facilities for the disabled, will enjoy some degree of privacy. The programs conducted there will range from three days to several weeks in length of time. They will be conducted by the program staff of the various agencies who lease the camp. Although it is expected that the camp will primarily serve children it is not limited to youth-serving organizations. Participants in the camping programs will be enrolled by the agency leasing the camp. The group camp will house 220 individuals including campers and staff. Housing is broken into 4 units or groups to provide flexible use of the facilities, either with coeducational groups or with several agencies sharing use of the camp at one time. The structure in the group camp consist of the following Kitchen and Dining Hall. Seating for 220. Contains public toilets, administrative offices, canteen. Winterized. 16 Camper Cabins. Capacity of each 4 counselors plus 10 campers. Flexible arrangement will allow these buildings to house families for organized family camping programs. Winterized. Health Lodge. Contains nurse's quarters, first aid dispensary and examining room and sleeping accommodations for 4 patients with one serving as isolation quarters. Winterized. 4 Staff Cottages. Capacity of each - 8. Winterized. 4 Bi-Unit Program Buildings. Buildings placed to serve two units each. Winterized. Open floor program space for varied use. Contains grill and cook-out area on outside. 8 Unit Program Buildings. Contains open-sided sheltered program area. One placed with each unit. Group Assembly. Contains seating for 300, public toilets, stage and dressing rooms, and dressing rooms for adjoining pool. Arts and Crafts Building. Contain work tables and storage space for various types of arts and crafts instruction programs. Pool. Water heated and filtered. Decking fencing, and shade area provided. Campfire Circle. Seating for 300. Open air. Beach and docks for swimming and boating. Parking Area Outpost Camp. Consists of primitive sanitary facilities, water, and shelter. - ' "7 ; . -. ' ""^ JEIHHHSS wi / i J^OS Ji-% W% % tf JV TtatyKb (g; b*. "* tflfr yBam.Ma| V rW/ isa^;-- " h % .-<*** '$ WjiuW ctftdMwnciJ -- **. flCWMMt WBWS.-- v-V :., ;a. * /-- , '" TYPICAL, C&^PE&S GAftlTJ. PTMIMCS WALL -^ JC!I-, i*i - 0, eV THE DAY USE AREA The Day Use area will be open to the disabled with their families or other assistants being welcome to use and enjoy the facilities when accompanied by the eligible members. For purposes of screening out the able-bodied visitors who would tend to make the disabled less comfortable in his play, a means of identification will be arranged and perhaps cards of eligibility issued. The Day Use area will consist of the following structures and facilities: Visitors Center. Contains bathhouse, public toilets, concession sales, recreation equipment issued here, sheltered picnic tables, and sheltered games area. Picnic Facilities with grills and tables. Beach Boat Docks Children's Playground Adult Recreation Area. Including shuff leboard, horseshoes, badminton, volleyball, physical fitness apparatus, and other games of a non-permanent nature Nature Walks. With self -guiding trail and identification helps. Fishing Docks Parking Area THE COTTAGE AREA The vacation cottages will be available on a rental basis to the disabled and their families and friends accompanying them. The cottages will have two bedrooms with a maximum sleeping capacity of 10 persons. Cottages will be within walking distance of the Day Use Area, providing full use of the recreation facilities there They will be equipped with linen and all other necessary furnishings and equipment. .fc^r^ri TV/"?* fS v^C "^ -^ J^: TYPIitfiL piyMl'-N' cFTiM UMF^ *isiieus*ajrf-ijai^'!iiaafc..i*27 tjw\. ft. HoiUvwt - e^c.v;ve*,-v *v